Swedish museum, Swedish festival, Swedish flags. Did we mention this area is Swedish?

You don’t have to crumble knäckebröd into your filmjölk for breakfast to appreciate the Swedish influence in Andersonville. From the abundant blue-and-yellow awnings to the telling moniker (Andersson is a popular Swedish surname), the nabe’s Scandinavian roots run deep. When Swedish immigrants settled the area in the 1850s, it was a cherry orchard. Now it has the second-largest gay population in the city (behind Boystown), and its Clark Street shopping district, with many early-20th-century buildings, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. June brings Midsommarfest, an annual celebration of the neighborhood’s cultural heritage—complete with a maypole.

See

1. Dala Horse

This fiberglass sculpture at the corner of Clark and Farragut replicates the wooden original, moved inside the Swedish American Museum after Chicago winters wreaked too much havoc on it.

2. Simon’s Tavern

Some say the former speakeasy, with its façade modeled on the luxurious SS Normandie, is haunted (boo!), so go on a slow afternoon and ask owner Scott Martin for a tour. 5210 N. Clark St.

10. Big Jones

There’s nary a misstep on the menu, but if you bypass the fried chicken made with ham drippings and clarified butter, you’re probably doing it wrong. bigjoneschicago.com

11. The Coffee Studio

Java isn’t the only star at this chill spot, which also serves cocktails and craft beers. And here’s a tip: caramel latte. You’re welcome. thecoffeestudio.com

12. Hopleaf

Come for the immaculately curated list of 400-plus beers, poured into brew-specific glasses for maximum authenticity. Stay for the Belgian-inspired cuisine, such as the ridiculously tasty mussels and frites. hopleafbar.com

14. M.Henry

We’re not saying this cozy spot has the best breakfast in the city. But after demolishing the impossibly fluffy pancakes and delish bacon-wrapped baked eggs with polenta, we’re not not saying it, either. mhenry.net

In
June

Wednesdays More than 30 vendors bring straight-from-the-soil produce to the Andersonville Farmer’s Market on Berwyn between Clark and Ashland.

June 9 Andi Zeisler, cofounder of Bitch Media, talks about the state of feminism at Women & Children First.

June 10 to 12 The glögg will flow and the music will be loud at the 51st annual Midsommarfest.

June 16 Scandinavian suds will be on tap at the Swedish American Museum’s Skål! Beer Tasting.

June 18 Local writer and director Jim Vendiola screens two of his recent works at Chicago Filmmakers.

Did You Know?

In 1954, an escapee from Cook County Jail, Gus Amedeo, was gunned down by police in the middle of Clark Street outside the Calo Theatre, which now houses the Brown Elephant.